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The city of Prague, a well-known spot for tourists, is in shock after a single shooter attacked students at a prestigious university. This tragic incident is now considered the worst mass shooting in the country’s history.
Videos on social media showed the chaos that occurred on Thursday afternoon at Charles University in the downtown area. Tourists sought shelter while a group of distressed students held onto a ledge in an attempt to survive.
The Czech police quickly arrived at Jan Palach Square at around 3pm after reports of a shooting. They were faced with a distressing scene where 13 individuals had lost their lives. The gunman also ended his own life shortly after.
The shooter, identified as 24-year-old David Kozak, committed suicide after trying to seek refuge in a gallery and being pursued to the rooftop.
Described as an excellent student with no previous criminal convictions, it has since emerged that Kozak is suspected to be responsible for the death of his father, and the fatal shooting of a man and his two-month-old daughter in a woodland area last week.
Stay up to date with our real-time updates here.
The individual responsible for the shooting has been identified as David Kozak.
It is believed that prior to the mass shooting at Charles University, he maintained a diary in Russian on the messaging app Telegram. In it, he wrote, “I intend to carry out a school shooting and potentially commit suicide.”
According to Prague’s Police Chief Martin Vondrasek, 10 individuals who were injured are in critical condition.
This is the current information we have regarding the shooting and the suspect:
Authorities reported that on Thursday afternoon, they were continuing to comb the vicinity, including the balcony, in search of potential explosive devices.
The information shown in the picture was provided by AFP via Getty Images.
What has happened?
At approximately 3pm, Czech police reported that they were dealing with a shooting incident at the faculty of arts building in Jan Palach Square, located in the heart of Prague.
New information has revealed that officials were notified earlier in the day that a man from Kladno, a town near Prague, may have been planning to end his own life in the capital.
At 12:26pm, a friend reached out to the police, stating that they had received a text message indicating suicidal thoughts and that the sender was not answering their calls.
Fearing the content of several messages on Telegram, the police went to Kozak’s house where they found his father’s deceased body at 12:45pm. Upon searching the area, they also found weapons and explosives. It was later confirmed that Kozak had plans to attend a lecture at 2pm in a university building near Old Town Square in Prague.
At 1:15pm, authorities launched a nationwide manhunt for the suspect. At 1:27pm, they requested to search the Faculty of Arts. Police with weapons quickly arrived and cleared out a building by 2:22pm. However, at 2:49pm, they received information that Kozak was located at the university’s nearby Jan Palach Square.
At 2:59pm, there were reports of gunshots being fired. The first officers arrived at the building within four minutes. During a press conference, dramatic footage was shown of the officers systematically searching each floor and helping students who were in distress evacuate.
A message was sent via email to both the faculty and students of Charles University’s Faculty of Arts, informing them that a person with a weapon was present in one of the buildings. The staff members were instructed to remain in their current location.
Pictures and videos on social media depict groups of individuals fleeing from the area, while students secured themselves in classrooms by stacking furniture against the doors. Additional images suggest that the assailant was dressed in black and wielding a sizable firearm as they aimed it at the square.
Photographs and footage shared on social media depict eight students taking cover on a ledge in an attempt to avoid the gunman.
The authorities cordoned off the area and advised people to evacuate the nearby streets and remain indoors. A British couple, who were on their honeymoon, described feeling frightened when a law enforcement officer entered their restaurant and yelled for them to take cover.
During a press conference, the director of Prague Police recounted, “I witnessed an incredible amount of ammunition stacked in the corridors.”
He thinks that if the gunman had not gone to the university’s balcony, where he ultimately died, he would have continued to harm more individuals.
Thirteen individuals lost their lives during the shooting incident, and the perpetrator ended his own life upon realizing he was cornered. Many others have received urgent medical treatment and undergone significant surgeries after being transported to the hospital, with some sustaining gunshot wounds to the head, chest, and arms.
Out of the injured individuals, three are citizens of other countries – two are from the United Arab Emirates and one is from the Netherlands.
What information do we have about the shooter?
Although Czech police have not officially confirmed his identity, David Kozak has been identified as the individual responsible for the deadliest shooting in the country.
There is no evidence linking him to extremist beliefs and authorities suspect that he acted independently without any assistance. However, disturbing messages on a secure social media platform indicate that he may have been inspired by a recent school shooting in Russia, where a 14-year-old girl fatally shot a classmate and wounded five others in Bryansk, located in western Russia.
“I received assistance from Alina Afanaskina,” the message read. “I used to have a desire to commit murder, thinking I would become a serial killer in the future. However, I came to the realization that committing mass murders would be more advantageous than serial ones.”
A police officer watches over the vicinity of the Philosophical Faculty building.
(C) 2023 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.
The authorities are also investigating the possibility that the shooter was involved in the killings of two individuals in the Klanovicky forest near Prague last week.
On December 15th, a 32-year-old man and his two-month-old daughter were fatally attacked, with authorities suspecting it to be a random act. Police have identified Kovak as a potential suspect, but have not yet been able to interview him.
Based on current evidence, it appears that he is responsible. However, a spokesperson for the police stated that they are waiting for the results of ballistic tests to officially confirm his role.
After 14 people were fatally shot, ambulances promptly arrived at the location.
The image is from Anadolu, obtained through Getty Images.
What statements have been made by the authorities?
The Czech Interior Minister, Vit Rakusan, stated that there is no evidence linking the incident to international terrorism.
He stated that it is a terrible offense, unlike anything the Czech Republic has ever encountered.
According to local news sources, three of the individuals harmed were foreigners, while the rest were all Czech citizens.
until his family could be notified.
Officials have verified that the alleged perpetrator was enrolled as a student at the university, but did not release his name until his relatives were informed.
The Czech Republic’s prime minister, Petr Fiala, expressed gratitude to the emergency services for their response and offered condolences to those who have lost loved ones.
“This heinous act has no justification. Like many others, I am deeply saddened and disgusted by the abhorrent violence,” he posted on social media.
The Czech Republic has a low occurrence of gun violence, making this event considered the most severe in its past.
In December of 2019, authorities reported that a 42-year-old individual opened fire in a hospital waiting room in Ostrava, Czech Republic, resulting in the deaths of six people. The perpetrator then fled the scene and ultimately took their own life.
In Uhersky Brod in 2015, a man took the lives of eight individuals before taking his own at a restaurant.
The source is the independent.co.uk.
